Time Heals all Wounds
by Williams477
Summary: Charlie and Adam suffer extensive injuries at the hands of the Varsity during a rematch. Will the other ducks support their friends, or will the flock move on?
1. JV,Varisty Rematch

Title: Time Heals all Wounds

By: Williams477

Rating: G

Warnings: None

Summary: Charlie and Adam suffer extensive injuries at the hands of the Varsity during a rematch. Will the other ducks support their friends, or will the flock move on?

Time frame: Post D3. Still freshman year

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Disney, I own nothing.

A/N: This is my first attempt a ducks fiction, so please be kind lol

Adam Banks was sitting on the JV bench, intensely watching the ongoing JV/Varsity rematch game. It had only been a few weeks since their previous meeting but the Varsity already challenged them to a rematch and Coach Orion gladly accepted. Adam, on the other hand, was not as confident.

After their last encounter a lot of the JV team was in pain, especially Adam. Varsity were heavy-hitters and to Adam, it seemed like he was a constant target. He played on the Varsity for a few weeks at the beginning of the school year but eventually moved back down to the JV. Obviously, this didn't sit well with the Varsity players and they were out for blood.

Adam's attention was drawn back to the game as the buzzer sounded, signaling a score for the Varsity. The score was now 4-2 in favor of Varsity. Adam sighed and hung his head. He wanted so bad to play. He had only gone in once so far. Orion said he was trying to minimize Adam's time on the ice since the Varsity were out to get him.

Adam immediately looked back up to the game when he heard the JV fans starting to cheer. Charlie had managed to steal the puck and was on a breakaway.

"Go Charlie!" Adam screamed jumping to his feet along with the rest of the Ducks.

Cole, the Varsity enforcer, was the closest player to him and was gaining rapidly. Charlie raised his stick and was about to shoot when he an intense pain shoot up from his ankle throughout his leg. Charlie lost his balance and slid head first into the goal post. The Ducks immediately started yelling at the referring to call something but calmed down after they saw that their teammate wasn't getting up.

Adam winced as the incident took place. He knew what it felt like to hit the goal post head first. He skated out to Charlie along with the rest of the Ducks and Coach Orion. Adam took one look at the motionless figure and knew exactly what was wrong.

"Get an ambulance!" Adam yelled to the closest official.

"That might not be necessary" The official said

"Yes, it is. The same thing happened to me during the Peewee Championship game a few years ago. I was knocked into the goal post and had a concussion as a result." Adam stated giving a pleading look to Coach Orion, who was kneeling beside Charlie, checking his pulse.

"I think he's right. Get an ambulance immediately." Orion said standing back up.

A few minutes later, Charlie was on the stretcher and being loaded into the back of the ambulance.

Orion and the Ducks were gathered around the team box. They all wanted to be with their captain in the hospital, but there was still 10 minutes left in the game and they weren't going to accept a forfeit.

They skated back out onto the ice and were waiting for the game to restart when they realized they were now a player short. Orion scanned his bench but only saw tired and beaten down players. His eyes stopped on Adam. He didn't want to put Banks in but he had no other choice.

"Banks, you're in." Orion said

Adam jumped off the bench and was halfway over the railing when he felt someone grab his arm. He turned around to see that it was Orion holding him back.

"Watch yourself out there" Orion warned before letting Adam go.

Adam skated out to his center position where he took the face off against Riley. Adam got the puck and passed it to Connie before being knocked down. Connie dodged a Varsity defender before passing to Luis, who sped down the ice leaving all the players in his wake. He went straight at the goalie and faked once then shot. The buzzer sounded and the fans began to roar. The game was now at 4-3, still in favor of Varsity.

Adam got back to his center position to prepare for another face off with Riley. This time he didn't get the puck but still found himself on the ice within a few seconds. The Varsity were heading into their defensive zone with full speed. While the rest of the Varsity were busy holding off the JV, Riley started in on the goal. He took aim and shot with all his force but it was not enough to get past Julie.

Julie held onto the puck until Connie could get free then she passed it to her. Connie tried to skate past their defenders but was hit by Cole and the puck got away from her. It came to a stop near the railing behind the Varsity goal. Adam saw an opportunity and took off down the ice to beat the goalie to the puck. He got there first but was having a difficult time getting the puck away from the wall. Adam was so distracted with trying to get the puck that he didn't see Cole and Riley rushing towards him. They hit Adam with full force which forced him back into the boards. Adam started to get dizzy and felt extreme pain radiating from his midsection. The image of Connie and Luis skating towards him was the last thing he saw before everything went black…

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	2. The Hospital

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Disney, I own nothing.

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Charlie slowly opened his eyes only to be greeted by more darkness. He reached down and felt something soft under him. It was a bed.

'It was only a dream.' Charlie thought thinking that he was in his own bed before noticing a loud beeping sound coming from above.

He looked up and discovered the heart monitor he was hooked up to.

'Okay, maybe it wasn't a dream.' He thought to himself as he started to feel the pain in his ankle and head.

He closed his eyes tightly and allowed the wave of pain to pass before trying to find the button to call in a nurse. Charlie felt around the bed for the button but had no luck finding it due to the darkness that had encompassed the room, so he reached up and flicked the overhead light on.

Charlie scanned the bedside area and immediately found the call nurse button. He was about to press it when he noticed a body lying in the bed beside his. He couldn't make out who it was because the curtain was halfway pulled, hiding the man's upper body. Charlie shrugged it off and pressed the button.

A few minutes later a red-headed nurse came in with a clipboard in hand.

"It's good to see you up, Charlie. How do you feel?" she asked writing down his vitals.

"Like I was hit by a semi-truck." He replied rubbing the back of his head.

The nurse just smiled politely and continued scribbling things on her clipboard.

"How long was I out?" he asked

She looked at her watch then back up at Charlie

"About five hours. People were here to see you earlier but they had to leave when visiting hours ended. They said they'll be back first thing tomorrow." she replied.

Charlie just nodded and sat his head back on the pillow. The nurse saw that he was getting tired so she tried to hurry up.

"Let me just check on your friend over here and I'll leave so you can get your rest." She said pointing at the man in the other bed.

This sparked interest in Charlie. He knew that it was probably known of his business but he would most likely be stuck in the same room with the guy for a few days so he'd at least like to know what he looked like.

Charlie turned his head in the direction of the nurse, who was pulling back the curtain on the man's bed. His jaw dropped when he saw the face of the mystery man.

"Adam!" Charlie practically yelled

"Do you know him?" the nurse asked

"Yeah. What's wrong with him?" Charlie asked trying to sit up

"He took a nasty hit at a hockey game and has a few broken ribs and a concussion…like you" the nurse replied finally realizing that they were on the same hockey team.

"Is he going to be okay?" Charlie questioned with concern

"He should be but he's going to have a terrible headache when he wakes up. Speaking of which, I'm sure you probably do as well so I'm going to leave you now. The doctor will be with you in the morning to discuss the extent of your injuries. Get some rest." the nurse said as she exited the room.

Charlie sighed and lay back down on the bed. He had a million things rushing through his mind at once. Would they be able to play before the season ended? Would he be okay? Would Adam be okay? Somehow through all the confusion, he finally managed to fall asleep.

Charlie didn't stay asleep for long and a few hours later he was up again. He looked out the window only discover that it was still dark outside. Charlie shifted in his bed which caused pain to shoot up from his ankle. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to pass, but it never did. He pressed the button to signal the nurse again, hoping that they would be able to give him something for the pain.

A few minutes later the same red-headed nurse came in.

"What's wrong, Charlie?" the nurse asked.

"This pain won't go away." he replied through clinched teeth.

The nurse nodded and stepped out of the room for a few seconds, then came back with a syringe in hand.

"Wait, what's that?" Charlie asked

"It's morphine. It'll help with the pain." she said preparing his arm.

Charlie winced as he felt the needle go in. He never liked having to get a shot, then again, no body did.

"There you go. It should kick in within a few minutes. Try to get some more rest, the doctor won't be in for hours." she said leaving the room.

Even after the pain subsided, Charlie had a difficult time falling asleep. He couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened. He glanced over at Adam's lifeless body. He wished that Adam would wake up soon. Not just because he was concerned for his friend, but because if he was going to be up all night, he might as well have someone to talk to.

Charlie was almost asleep when he heard something stirring from the opposite side of the room. He shrugged it off, thinking it was just his imagination, but a few seconds later he heard it again along with a groaning sound.

Charlie lifted himself up with one arm and used the other to turn on the light. He immediately saw that Adam's eyes were open.

"Adam…" Charlie said softly

"What happened?" Adam asked with a voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know exactly, but you took a nasty hit during the game. The nurse said you had a few broken ribs and a concussion." Charlie replied.

"I feel so weak." Adam groaned.

"Hang on, I'll get the nurse." Charlie said pressing the button.

A few seconds later the same red-headed nurse was standing in the room.

"Good you're up, Adam." she said writing down his vitals the same way she did when Charlie woke a few hours before.

"I feel weak." Adam said

"That's to be expected. The doctor will be here in a few hours to go over your injuries with you, until then, I suggest you get your rest." she said as she left the room.

Adam looked around the room and noticed that Charlie was lying in the bed next to him. He was trying to figure out why Charlie would be in a hospital bed, and then it hit him. Everything rushed back to him and he remembered Charlie going head-first, straight into the goal post.

"How are you feeling?" Adam asked

"Probably about the same as you are." Charlie replied taking note of how exhausted Adam looked, even though he had just woken up.

Charlie suddenly felt tired himself. Maybe now he can some sleep since the concern for his friend has lifted.

"I'm going to try to get some more sleep, I'll talk to you in the morning. Goodnight." Charlie said putting his head back down on his pillow.

He noticed that Adam didn't say anything and he looked back up. Adam was already fast asleep. Charlie chuckled softly to himself and laid back down. A few minutes later he was in a deep sleep as well.

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A/N: Hey, Sarah! It's been a while. Sorry about that fic I stopped writing. I had the new chapter all typed up and I lost my hardrive a few days later and lost it as well. I never got around to re-writing it and I just lost interest in it. But, I promise that won't happen with this one lol.


	3. Visitors and More

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Disney, I own nothing.

A/N: I just want to get something out of the way right now; this is not a slash story. I have nothing against slash stories and I even read a few sometimes but it just isn't my writing style. This story is just about two really good friends, nothing more.

-

Charlie awoke and instead of being greeted by darkness, this time he was greeted by sunlight.

He groaned as he rolled onto his side and looked out the window. The sun was already starting to go down. Charlie thought it had to be at least four in the evening judging from how low it was. He wondered why no one woke him earlier. The nurse did say that the doctor would be in to discuss his and Adam's injuries in the morning.

'Adam' Charlie thought to himself remembering the events of the previous night. He wondered if Adam was awake yet. Charlie rolled onto his other side to face Adam but found that he was still asleep in practically the same position he fell asleep in.

Charlie sighed at the thought of only having himself for company as he shifted positions in bed once again. This time he moved a bit too much and the pain in his ankle came back stronger than ever. He clinched his teeth and started breathing heavily, as if he was about to give birth.

He reached down and felt around until he found the button to call in the nurse. A few moments later she was standing in the doorway.

"What's wrong, Charlie?" she asked

He didn't even look up at her. All he did was point to his ankle and she got the message. She left the room and returned with a syringe of morphine, similar to the one the nurse brought in the night before. She instructed him to lift the sleeve on his gown as she injected the morphine.

"Wasn't the doctor supposed to come discuss our injuries with us this morning?" Charlie asked trying to take his mind off the needle in his arm and the pain in his ankle.

"He was in here around eleven this morning, but you two weren't up yet. Instead of waking you up he decided that it was better if you got your rest." she replied finishing with the shot.

"Well, is he still here?" he questioned with a hiss as he felt the needle leave his arm.

"I'm afraid not. He had a family emergency and won't return until tomorrow. He'll discuss your injuries with you then." she answered.

Charlie just nodded and watched as she started to exit the room. She stopped just shy of the doorway and turned back to face him.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. A few of your friends are sitting in the waiting room. Would you like for me to send them in?" she questioned

"Yes, please!" he practically yelled. The nurse chuckled softly to herself as she left the room.

'Finally someone to talk to.' Charlie thought to himself as he waited for his guests to arrive.

A few minutes later he heard a knock at the door. Before he could say come in the door opened and three of his teammates walked in.

"Hey, Charlie!" Julie, Guy, and Connie screamed in unison.

"Ssshhhh. Adam's trying to sleep." Charlie said pointing over to Adam.

"Sorry." Guy responded, speaking for the rest of the group.

Guy walked to the window and looked out before sitting down in a nearby chair. He motioned for Connie to join him and she sat down on his lap. Julie looked around the room and found that there were no more chairs so she sat down at the foot of Adam's bed.

"So how are you feeling?" Connie asked

"Fine right now, but as soon as the morphine wears off I'll be in pain again." Charlie replied

There were a few seconds of awkward silence before Charlie spoke again.

"Did you guys win?" he questioned referring to the JV/Varsity rematch game.

"No, we tied." Guy said with a touch of shame in his voice.

"I bet Orion was pissed." Charlie snorted

"Not really, he was more concerned with getting to the hospital to check on you two. He was angry with Coach Wilson, though, for having his players purposely take you guys out." Connie stated

Charlie was shocked. Orion actually cared more about his and Adam's health than winning?

"How's Adam doing?" Julie asked pulling Charlie from his thoughts.

"Don't really know. He was up for a few minutes late last night but he fell asleep before I could ask him anything in-depth. He said he was feeling real weak, though." Charlie replied

Julie just nodded to show that she heard him. She never took her eyes off Adam, however. Charlie was trying to study her facial expressions. There was something more there than concern for a follow teammate. Everyone on the team knew that something sparked between her and Adam during the Goodwill Games but neither of them acted on it. Charlie was beginning to wonder if she had regrets for not following her feelings.

The awkward silence returned for a few minutes before Charlie spoke up.

"Guy's I'm getting tired again so I'm going to try to get some rest." he said with a yawn.

"Okay, that's cool." Guy replied motioning for Connie to get up.

"Yeah, get some rest. Lord knows you need it." Connie stated leading Guy to the door.

"We'll stop by tomorrow to see you. Tell Adam we were here." Julie said getting up to leave.

"Will do." Charlie replied with a smile as he watched the three exit the room.

Charlie yawned once more before he lied his head down on his pillow and drifted off into a deep sleep.

-

Adam came to a few hours later. Everything was dark and hazy as he struggled to get the sleep out of his eyes. He tried to focus his eyes but still found that it was dark. He finally came to the conclusion that there was nothing wrong with his eyes, only that the room was pitch black.

Adam remembered seeing a light switch above Charlie's bed, so he thought that there must be one above his as well. He put his hand against the wall and started sliding it side to side in an attempt to find the switch.

'Maybe it's a bit higher.' Adam thought to himself as he used his free arm to arch himself upwards a little more.

Just as his finger tips touched the edge of the switch, he felt an intense pain course through his ribs.

He immediately brought both of his arms around to cradle his midsection, which caused him to fall back to the bed with a thud.

Adam let out a whimper as the pain continued to rock his body. He was mentally pleading with god to make the pain stop.

Suddenly, the light on the other side of the room flickered on and Charlie was starring at him.

"Adam, are you okay? I thought I heard you whining or something" Charlie asked.

"Oh god, this pain won't go away." Adam moaned trying to fight back tears.

Charlie knew the drill. He reached down, picked up the control panel and pressed the button to call the nurse.

A male nurse came in a few moments later with a syringe in hand. Charlie guessed that all the nurses knew to bring it with them now whenever they came to their room. The nurse started to walk towards Charlie but he just shook his head and pointed at Adam and the nurse got the idea.

Charlie turned his head as the needle disappeared into his friend's arm. He wasn't a big fan of shots. The only way he could handle them was if he didn't look at them.

"All finish." The nurse said removing the syringe.

"Thanks." Charlie said for Adam, who was still struggling with the pain.

"He should start feeling better in a few minutes. You guys should get your rest. I think the doctor plans on letting you leave tomorrow night after he discusses your injuries with you." The nurse stated leaving the room.

A few minutes passed when Charlie noticed that Adam was starting to breath normally again.

"You feeling any better?" Charlie asked

"Yeah that stuff works wonders." Adam replied

"Oh, Connie, Guy, and Julie were here earlier to see us." Charlie stated

"What did they have to say?" Adam asked curiously

"Nothing much, they tied with varsity at the game, though." Charlie replied with some disappointment in his voice.

"Was Orion pissed?" Adam wondered

"Surprisingly, no, he was only mad at Coach Wilson for having his players take us out." Charlie answered.

"That's good. Hey, that stuff is making me sleepy, so I'm going to get some rest. Hopefully we'll be able to go home tomorrow. Night, Charlie." Adam said yawning.

"Yeah, me too. Night, Adam." Charlie replied as he turned off the over-head light and drifted into deep sleep.

-

A/N: Sorry for having to wait two weeks to update. I'm busy with school during the week and don't have much time or energy to write. This actually turned out to be longer than I expected it to be because I just kept adding stuff to it every night. It's hard to write about two people being in the hospital, though. I plan on having them back at Eden Hall in the next chapter.


	4. Going Home

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Disney, I own nothing.

A/N: Thanks to all that have reviewed! I appreciate all of your comments and suggestions. I think I have an idea of where I want this story to go. Please take note that I have given Casey a husband, named Tom.

-

That night went by without further incident. The next morning came and for once Adam was up before Charlie.

He rubbed his eyes softly in an attempt to remove any excess sleep. The very first thing he noticed was that there was now light in the room, meaning he wouldn't have to go searching for a light switch again. Adam breathed a sigh of relief; he didn't want a repeat of the night before.

Adam glanced around the room quickly and discovered that Charlie was still asleep. He and Charlie were roommates back at Eden Hall so he knew how much of a heavy sleeper Charlie was, which made him wonder how he was so easily woken the previous night.

Adam was suddenly pulled from his thoughts as the door creaked open. An old man with gray hair in a doctor's suit walked in with two clipboards in hand.

"Good morning…Adam. I'm Dr. Moreland." he said as he flipped through papers on the clipboard labeled 'Banks, Adam.'

"Morning doc." Adam replied as he carefully repositioned himself on the bed.

"How are you feeling?" the doctor asked

"A little better." Adam said

"Good. I was just looking over your records. I don't see any reason why you can't go home this evening. Now, you will be in pain for a while, so I want you to stay in bed for the next week or two and I am going to prescribe some painkillers." Dr. Moreland stated

"Well what about Charlie and school?" Adam questioned

"Charlie will be allowed to go home as well. He'll have to use crutches for a month, however, because there is a hairline fracture in his ankle. Don't worry about school. We'll give you a doctor's note and the days won't be counted against you." Moreland explained

"And hockey?" Adam asked knowing what the answer already was

"I'm afraid both of you will be out for the rest of the regular season, but if you take it easy and allow your injuries to heal properly, you may be able to come back in time for the postseason games." the old doctor clarified.

Adam just nodded and looked down at the floor. He knew he was in for it now. His dad would be furious at him for not being able to be hockey, no matter if he was injured or not. This made him wonder what the doctor meant by "go home." Home as in the Eden Hall dorms? Or home as in with parents? He was hoping the doctor meant the first.

"Hey doc, when you say I can go home this evening do you mean back to the Eden Hall dorms or go home with my parents?" Adam asked

"Well, I believe going home with your parents will be the best, for the both of you. You two need your rest." Dr. Moreland explained

"Yeah, but Charlie and I are room together at the dorms so we wouldn't have any roommates bothering us or anything." Adam pleaded

"I understand, but if you are at home with your parents, you'll have someone there to take care of you." the doctor stated

Suddenly Adam felt very tired and didn't want to argue anymore.

"Okay, whatever you say doc." he said with a yawn

"Good. Now why don't you get some sleep? It's still pretty early. Your parents won't be here to pick you up for a few hours." Moreland said as he walked towards the door.

Adam nodded with another yawn as he watched the doctor leave. He laid his head back on the pillow and started thinking about the upcoming evening. He dreaded going home. He knew exactly what would happen. His dad would yell at him and tell him his life is ruined and he would be powerless to stop him. Despite his anxiety and fear, Adam soon drifted off into an unconscious state.

-

Charlie woke a few hours later to the sounds off a soft voice calling his name.

"Charlie…" he heard

He slowly opened his eyes and saw his mother leaning over him.

"Hey honey" she said backing off a little

"Hi mom" Charlie replied using his arms to prop him up

"How are you feeling?" she asked

"Better" he answered

"That's good. The doctor said you can go home this evening if you feel up to it." she said

"Great, it'll be good to see the team again." he happily said.

"Well, the doctor wants you to come home with me that way you can get your rest." she stated

"Oh…" Charlie replied with disappointment. He didn't want to go home with his parents, neither. He got along fine with his mother, but he and his step-dad, Tom, did not.

"Don't worry, Charlie. Tom is away for a while so there won't be any problems." she tried to comfort him

"Okay then, but what about school?" he asked

"Don't worry about it. The doctor's are going to give you an excuse so the days you miss won't count against you." she explained

"And Adam?" he questioned looking over at his sleeping friend.

"He is going home with his parents as well." Casey sighed knowing as well as Charlie did that Adam didn't want or need to go home, especially with his father being there.

"Mom, they can't make him go home! You know what his father is like, how he treated Adam after he got injured in the Goodwill games." Charlie snorted

"I know, Charlie, but there is nothing I can do." she said

Charlie just looked at the floor and shook his head in disbelief. He wished that he and Adam would be able to stay at the dorm, where he wouldn't have to put up with Tom and Adam wouldn't have to put up with his father.

"So when can we leave?" he asked

"As soon as you're ready, but the doctor needs to come in and discuss a few things with you first." she stated

"I'm ready now." Charlie said

"Okay, I'll go get Dr. Moreland." Casey said as she left the room.

While she was gone, Charlie glanced over to his sleeping friend. Adam had been there for him when his mother had gotten remarried to some jerk that he didn't like and didn't like him in return. Charlie didn't want to leave him with his dad alone, but had no choice. He thought back to the last time Adam had gotten injured and how Coach Bombay had to save him from his dad. He just hoped that Adam would be okay.

"Good afternoon, Charlie. I hear you're ready to go home." Dr. Moreland announced pulling Charlie from his thoughts

"Yeah…" was all Charlie could say.

"Good, but once you get there you will have to stay in bed for a week or so to fully recover from the concussion. You'll have to use crutches for a month to allow the hairline fracture in your ankle to heal. That means you're out of hockey for the rest of the season, but you maybe able to return for the postseason games." he explained

The doctor continued on and showed Charlie how to use the crutches. Charlie was barely paying attention; he'd figure his mom would go over it again when he got home.

"And that is everything." the doctor said as a nurse came in with a wheel chair.

Dr. Moreland escorted Casey outside the room to discuss some things as the nurse helped Charlie dress and position himself in the wheel chair. Once they were done the nurse began to wheel him out of the room, but before he left, Charlie looked at Adam once more and hoped that things would go alright.

-

Adam woke a few hours later to two guests in his room. He couldn't make them out at first, but soon his eyes focused and he recognized the one by his bed as his mother, and the one sitting in the chair with the magazine as his father.

His mother immediately started asking him questions like how he was feeling, but his father remained seated with his magazine. She asked him if he was ready to go and when he responded with a yes, she went to get the doctor.

While she was gone, Adam decided to take the opportunity to break the ice with his father.

"Hey dad…" he softly said

"We'll discuss this at home." Philip Banks snorted from behind the magazine.

Adam just sighed and thought of all the different things that would happen once he got home. Before he could get too deep into his thoughts, the doctor came in and went though the same information he went through with Charlie, minus the crutches. The doctor said it would be difficult for him to walk because of the broken ribs, so he would be given a wheel chair to get out of the hospital with as well.

A nurse came in a few minutes later and helped him dress as the doctor finished giving instructions to his parents. The nurse wheeled him out to the car after they were done and soon he and his parents were driving him in complete silence, knowing exactly what would happen as soon as they got home.

-

A/N: A lot longer than I had anticipated. Sorry for the long wait, I had school and everything lol. I had a long weekend so I finished up this chapter. That thing about morphine injections and not being able to go home, I'm basing what I wrote off of personal experience. I had knee surgery a few years ago and they allowed me to go home the same day they gave me a morphine shot. Anyways, thanks for all the reviews. I'll update ASAP!


	5. At Home Part 1

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Disney, I own nothing.

A/N: I am dividing this chapter into two parts, the first is Adam's time at his house and the second is Charlie's time at his house. Thanks to ladyship, koko, kel, banks'-gurl, and my ever faithful Sarah for their reviews. I really appreciate them. Oh, I don't know if Mrs. Banks was ever given an official name or not, so I'm just calling her Laura, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

The car ride home was silent and tense for the Banks family. Adam knew exactly what would happen as soon as they got home. His father would start yelling about how he screwed up his life and his mother would try to stop it but would most likely fail.

Adam was yanked from his thoughts as the car came to a sudden stop. He looked out his window and realized they were sitting in their driveway. Adam opened the car door and slowly stepped out of the car. His rips were throbbing from sitting in an up-right position for so long and he knew he wouldn't be able to make it into the house on his own. Adam looked up to his parents for help but found that his dad was already in the house. Luckily, his mother knew he would need help for a few days so she waited and helped him into the house.

As soon as Adam walked into the house he saw his father at the refrigerator, most likely getting a beer.

"Go to your room and don't come out until your mother and I discuss this." Philip Banks yelled while opening up a bottle of Budweiser.

Adam let out a sigh of relief. His father may have yelled at him to go to his room, but at least he wouldn't have to listen to a scolding.

His mother helped him up the stairs and into his bed.

"Don't worry about your father. He'll get over it eventually." Laura Banks said tucking her son into the bed.

"I just don't understand why he gets like this! I mean I'm the one hurt and in pain, not him." Adam protested.

"I know…I know. Just try to rest now, hun. I'll bring you up some dinner later on and I'll go pick up your pain medicine in the morning." Laura said kissing Adam on the forehead.

"Okay mom." Adam yawned before closing his eyes to sleep.

Adam woke a few hours later to a darkened room. The only light was coming from underneath the doorframe from the hallway. He squinted his eyes to make out the time that was illuminating from the digital clock on his desk. It was two twenty-three in the morning. Adam wondered why his mother let him sleep through dinner.

Suddenly he felt a pain in his stomach and realized he hadn't had a decent dinner in days. He figured that his mother had leftovers in the refrigerator. Adam slowly got up and made his way down to the kitchen.

He opened the door to the refrigerator only to be greeted by empty shelves. There was nothing in the refrigerator besides the normal things like milk and beer. This made Adam worry a little. He knew he heard his mom say she was going to bring him dinner, which meant she had to cook something. Suddenly his stomach started rumbling again and he decided that he would just have a bowl of cereal instead.

Adam walked to the cabinet and pulled out a box of Apple Jacks. He opened the cupboard in search for a bowl.

'Just my luck…' Adam thought to himself after seeing the bowls were all on the top shelf.

He arched himself up slowly to reach the bowls. Just as he was getting close the pain in his ribs became too much and he brought his arms down to cradle his midsection. As he did one of his arms hit a flower vase that was sitting on the counter. The vase fell to the floor and shattered into a thousand little pieces.

"Shit" Adam muttered. He stood there looking at the broken vase, wondering what to do until he heard a door open. He was hoping it was his mother, but it seemed the only luck he was having was bad luck.

"What the hell happened in here?" Philip Banks asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Sorry dad. I was trying to get something to eat and I knocked the vase over. I'll pick it up." Adam said reaching for the broom and dustpan.

"I thought I told you to stay in your room." Mr. Banks scolded.

"I know and I'm sorry but I haven't eaten in days and I needed something to eat." Adam said trying to plead with his father.

"You're going to be sorry. First you joined that team of low lives. Then you went and got yourself injured for pulling a stupid stunt at the Goodwill games. And when you finally had a chance to make up for it, you rejoined the Ducks after being put on Varsity. I'm tired of you undermining my authority." Philip said stepping closer to Adam.

"What are you doing dad?" Adam asked smelling beer on his father's breath.

Philip didn't answer. He just brought his fist up and swung it at his son. He hit Adam across the jaw, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Get up!" Philip yelled

Adam didn't move. He lied there holding his jaw, waiting for the pain to subside. Soon the pain in his jaw was replaced by the pain in his ribs. His father kicked him hard in the midsection when he refused to get up.

Instead of waiting on his son to get up, Philip picked him up by the collar of his shirt only to shove him backwards into the refrigerator.

By now Adam was coughing up blood. His father had hit him before but never went this far. Adam was silently praying for the punishment to stop. He soon heard another door open and a scream from his mother.

He looked up from his position on the floor to see his mother screaming at his father. He saw his father lift his hand up as if he was going to hit her but something stopped him and he stormed out of the house. Adam's mother immediately ran over to his side.

"Oh Adam are you okay?" she asked wiping the blood off his chin.

Adam was in too much pain to speak; he only moaned.

"Come on, honey. Let's get you back to bed." she said helping him up.

She led him upstairs and put him back into his bed. His shirt was covered with blood but he didn't care. He just wanted to go to sleep to escape the pain.

"Adam, I'm going to stay here with you all night. Nothing is going to happen." He heard his mother say before he drifted off…


	6. At Home Part 2

A/N: I am so, so sorry for not updating in like 4 months. I was going to update over my spring break but I kept putting it off until I forgot all about it. But I'm back now, so here is an update.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

--

Charlie woke the next morning in his bed, surrounded by his own things. He came home from the hospital the day before but was so exhausted that he slept most of the day.

He sat up in his bed and surveyed his room. Charlie was only in the hospital for a few days but his room still seemed foreign to him since he stayed in the dorms most of the time. Even though he hadn't been there in a while, everything was still where he had left it when he left.

He glanced over to his nightstand and saw that it was 10:32 am.

'Wow, I'm never up this early.' Charlie thought to himself

"What's this?" He asked himself aloud noticing a small, folded piece of paper near the alarm clock.

Charlie picked it up and carefully unfolded the paper. He realized that it was a note that read:

_Charlie,_

_I have to go into work for a few hours. I'll be home around noon. There is some soup in the cabinet in case you get hungry. I'll pick up your medicine on my way home. _

_Love,_

_Mom_

He smiled before he felt his stomach rumble. The thought of food made him realize that he didn't have dinner the night before.

Charlie grabbed his crutches and stood up off the bed. He was still light headed from the concussion, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He slowly navigated down the stairs and into the kitchen where he found himself in front of an open cabinet.

He pulled out a can of Chicken Noodle Soup along with a bowl and started preparing his meal. What would take a normal person thirty seconds to do took Charlie five minutes because of the unsteadiness caused by the crutches.

Once his meal was done he hobbled his way into the living room. He sat his bowl of soup down on the table before casting the crutches aside and collapsing on the couch. He turned on the TV and slowly started sucking down his soup.

Charlie sat there watching cartoons for the better part of an hour, long after he had finished his soup. Soon the cartoons went off and were replaced by infomercials. Charlie sighed, realizing he had nothing else to do but lay in bed all day.

'At least if I was in the dorms I would have Adam to talk to.' He thought to himself

Then he remembered the events of the previous day and how Adam was forced to go home with his father. Charlie glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It read 11:35. He figured Adam would be up so he decided to call his friend.

He reached over to a table beside the couch and picked up the phone. He quickly dialed Adam's number and waited impatiently as the phone rang. Charlie was beginning to think that nobody was going to answer when Mrs. Banks picked up the phone.

"Hello…" she said groggily.

"Hi, Mrs. Banks, can I speak with Adam?" Charlie asked not taking notice of the lack of character in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Charlie, but he is still asleep. He had sort of a…rough night." She replied trying to think of a way to cover up the events of the previous night.

"Oh okay, I understand. Can you have Adam call me when he wakes up?" He asked not wanting to press the subject.

"Sure, oh and Charlie, is your mom there?" Mrs. Banks questioned.

"No, she had to go into work for a while." Charlie answered.

"Okay, have her call me when she gets in." She stated.

"I will." He assured her.

With that, they exchanged their goodbyes and Charlie put the phone back on the hook. Despite the lie, he knew exactly what Mrs. Banks meant by 'rough night.' Charlie started getting worried as he recalled all of the things that Adam had told him that his dad had done to him over the years. Before he could get too deep into thought, he heard the door open in the kitchen. Charlie glanced up to the clock again. This time it read 11:55. He figured it was his mom coming in so he grabbed his crutches and headed towards the kitchen.

When he got there he was shocked to discover that it wasn't his mom coming in, but his step dad, Tom. Charlie tried to move but couldn't. Shock, rage and fear all flooded over him at one. He was angry with mom for lying to him about his step dad not being there and he was afraid because of previous encounters he had with his stepfather. There was a moment of silence before Tom looked up and saw Charlie standing in the doorway.

"What the hell happened to you?" Tom asked taking notice of his crippled stepson.

"I got injured in a hockey game." Charlie said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Ah, so what are you doing here?" Tom questioned completely disregarding Charlie's physical state.

"I could ask you the same question. Mom said you were out of town for a while." Charlie snapped back finding his confidence.

"I was on a business trip, but it ended early so I came home." Tom replied

"So that's what they call sleeping with other women now a days?" Charlie mumbled just loud enough for Tom to hear.

"That's none of your damn business, boy." Tom snorted stepping closer to his stepson.

"I believe it is my business. You don't do anything but abuse me and use my mom and I'm…" Was all Charlie was able to get out before he felt Tom's fist make contact with his face, causing Charlie to lose his balance on the crutches as he fell to the floor.

Charlie felt immense pain course through his body as his ankle hit the floor. Tears started running down his face as he sat up to cradle his ankle.

"Look at you! Sobbing like a baby! I ought a…" Tom started yelling but was cut off by a scream.

"What in the hell is going on?" Casey Conway yelled surveying the kitchen from the door.

"Oh…um…Charlie…he fell and I was helping him up." Tom lied yanking Charlie up by the arm.

"Oh don't give me that bull, Tom. I heard you yelling at him and I'm pretty sure I saw you hit him through the kitchen window. I want you out, Tom." Casey snapped back.

"Come on Casey, we can work this out." Tom pleaded

"No, I tried to work this out with you before. But now I see you are never going to change. Get out of my house, now!" Casey screamed

Tom saw that he wasn't going to win this argument and let go of Charlie's arm, causing him to fall to the floor again. Charlie winced as his ankle came into contact with the floor. Tom started advancing towards Casey as she grabbed her purse and pulled out a can of pepper spray.

"Don't make me use this." She threatened

"Fine, but this isn't over." Tom snorted back as he bolted out the door.

Casey looked to make sure he was gone before she ran back to Charlie.

"Charlie, are you alright?" She asked wiping away a stray tear from his face.

"Yeah, just give me a few minutes." He replied trying to calm his staggered breathing.

"I'm so sorry, honey. I should have believed you when you first said something was wrong. It's just…" Casey started before she was cut off by her son.

"It's okay, mom. All that matters is that he's gone now." Charlie said trying to force a smile.

A moment passed before Casey began talking again.

"Come on; let's get you off the floor." She said putting his arm around her shoulder.

After some careful navigation, she had managed to get Charlie back on his crutches and helped him to the couch in the living room. Now that he was in the proper light she saw a large bruise forming around his eye.

"Looks like you're going to have a black eye later on." She said walking back to the kitchen to retrieve a bag of ice. Once in the living room, she helped Charlie put his feet on the couch to lay back then she gave him the bag of ice.

"Here, this should help keep the swelling down." She said.

"Thanks, oh Mrs. Banks wants you to call her." He stated

"Really, when did she call?" Casey asked her son.

"I called over there earlier but Adam was still asleep and she asked that you call her when you got home." Charlie explained.

"Okay, I'll go call her. Keep that ice on your eye." She called back walking into the kitchen as she dialed the Banks' number.

The phone rang for a few seconds before Mrs. Banks picked it up.

"Hello…" Mrs. Banks said

"Hey, Laura, Charlie told me you called. What did you need?" Casey asked

"Um…there isn't a delicate way to put this so I'm just going to come right out and say it. After we came home from the hospital last night, Phil got drunk and went after Adam. It was pretty bad and I'm worried it might happen again. Is there any possible chance that Adam could stay over at your place for a few days?" Laura Banks explained

"Of course he can. Is Adam alright though?" Casey asked with concern.

"Yeah, I think so. He just woke up a few minutes ago." Laura said.

"Okay, should I come get him now?" Casey questioned.

"Yes, please the sooner the better." Laura stated.

"Alright, I'll be there in a few minutes." Casey said hanging up and walking back into the living room.

"Be where, mom?" Charlie asked from his position on the couch.

"Something happened between Adam and his father. He's going to be staying here for a few days so I'm going to go pick him up." Casey explained.

"I knew it…" Charlie muttered as he watched his mom walk out the door.


End file.
